AUGUST 12, 1996

Salo stays at Tyrrell

MIKA SALO is to stay for a third season with Tyrrell next year, despite the miserable performance this year of the Yamaha engines.

Tyrrell and Yamaha have not yet agreed terms for a deal next year - and Tyrrell was actively involved trying to get its hands on a supply of Mugen Honda V10s for 1997. This is understood to have involved former Tyrrell driver Satoru Nakajima and his young prot?g? Taranosuke Takagi, who is currently racing in Formula Nippon in Japan.

Yamaha is hoping that having taken a risk on the design of the tiny OX11A engine this year and suffered as a result from poor reliability which has made development work impossible, the team will cash in next year when the engine becomes more reliable and develops more power.

It remains to be seen who will partner Salo but Katayama could remain if he brings more money from Japan Tobacco's MildĘSeven brand. Another strong possibility is Frenchman Emmanuel Collard, although he has no backing following the withdrawal from F1 of Elf.